The Penn's Grove record., 1887-03-12
hair hanging loosely above her Shout

saw her companion.
"May l ask why you have thus in
truded upon me, Miss st. Ayonl"
ITO plead the case of this poor child,
madam"
"And who constituted you his inter-
cessor2"
"My own sense of right and justice.
He is weak and i'll; the cold garrett Is
no place for him to sleep In. leone to
ask you, as a favor, that he may share
my room with me-"
Mrs. Worden's eyes flashed.
81 will have no such interferences
with the domestic regulations of my
household. You are dismissed from
my employment, Miss st. Avon; con-
slider the consequences Of your oficlous
interference at your leisure"
Alice colored deeply, but still she
stood firm.
~ will not leave this helpless, ailing
child to your persecution and neglect,
madam"
take him with you then, and well
come" sneered Mrs, Worden. ''and a
pretty pair of beggars you will be-"
evil you treat him as his relation
ship and helplessness require?"
mo, l will not"
"Then," said Miss st. Avon, com.
pressing her lips resolutely. 81 will take
you at your word, and adopt the poor
little fellow. l am not rich, like you,
but a crust a day, given by the hand OF
love, would be preferable to the miser-
able bondage OF life he now leads"
Mrs. Worden only laughed contempt
uously, and Alice st. Avon went back
to her own room, still holding Char
ley's hand.
"Charley," she said at last. will you
go home with me and be my boyp"
Charley chung sobbing round her
neck.
"Oh, Miss st. Avon, l love you SO
muchl l would go with you to the
worlds endln
"Then it is all settled, Charley. l
dare say" she added, speaking more to
herself than to him, II can get needle.
work to do, or a few pupils in music.
''Or," .chimed in Charley, wistfully,
81 could sell matches. Mike Mulroo-
ney, the cooks brother, makes ten
cents a day selling matche5."
Alice smiled at the suggestion.
"Well, we will see, Charley. We
won't try the match business, at least,
for the present. But henceforward
remember that you are my dear little
brother, and l am your sister Alice"
And so the brave young girl went
out into the world, the self-constituted
protectress of Charley Worden, whose
forlorn loneliness and piteous isolation
had appe" led to her heart so irresistl-
bly,.
Mademoiselle Pelelopine, the new
French goyerness. with Partisan accent
and beard like a mans had not reigned
in the Worden household, as successor
to Miss st. Avon, more than a month
or two, when one day a tall, dark
| stranger called, during the temporary
absence of the heads of the family, and
inquired for little Charley Wordsn.
HE has run away from his kind
| friends" replied the Parlsienne, glibly
repeating the falsehoed with which she
had been prompted.
"It's no such thingV' roared Master
Rupert. who was in high feud with
Mademoiselle Pelelopine, in cons3-
quence Of various neglected French
exercises. "Miss st. Ayon's adopted
him and taken him away from US.
cause papa and mamma were so ugly
to him."
"And who is Miss st. Avon, and
where does she live2n eagerly ques-
toned the stranger.
''She's our old goyerness, =" and she's
a deal nicer than the old Frenchy," de-
family bawled the young. scapegrace,
''and she lives down in Russell street,
next door but one TO the roast. chestnut
mans corner.
"Wil you hold your wicked tongue,
you bad boy?" calculated mademoiselle
shrilly; but the visitor had already
learned enough from Master Rupert's
unbridled tongue, and turned away
with a stern, set look on his handsome
features.
And this is the way" he MUIR
INJURED, 'thst they have fulfilled the
sacred trust committed to their care"
Little Charley Worden WAS sitting
on the rug IN front of the fire, spelling
over his reading lesson; Alice st. Avon
was busted on a piece of delIcately fine
embroidery, ostensibly listening to the
child's hesitatlng accents, but in reality
racking her brain as to how she wa to
meet the quarterly demand for rent on
the morrow, Had she undertaken too
muchp Surely no. He who careth for
the young ravens would help her to
maintain the forlorn orphan.
Yet Alice's face was ~unwontedly
grave, when a low knock sounded on
the panels of the door.
"Sister," cried the child, jumping
up, may l 60 10 the door,"
Eyes, Charley"
"Charley opened it eagerly. The
next moment he was caught up in the
arms of a tall man, bronzed and
bearded, and as handsome as Apollo.
"Papa. My own papal'
And Alice st. Avon started up, as
pale as If she had seen a ghost rise from
the sheeted dead.
Papa, It's my sister Alice. Kiss
her too, papa"
But Mr.. Worden only bowed with
courteous greeting.
II have startled you, | fear, Miss st.
Avon, nor do 1 wonder much. For
when / think OF the narrow escape /
have had with the other passengers of
the Inflated Marie Autoinette, l am
startled myself. You have been kind
to my poor boy, how shall l ever thank
You sufficiently"
Alice st. Avon felt the rosy blood
mantling her cheek as she stood, con-
fused, beneath the earnest gaze OF the
stranger, she scarcely knew in what
words TO answer, all unaware that in
her case silence was far more eloquent
than the readiest words,
"And now, if you will retain the
charge of this boy or nine a brief while
longer" added Mr.. Worden, 81 viii go
to Zee about taking legal measures to re-
gain the wealth left in trust TO my
brother Parker, for the benefit Of Char
ley-wealth that has apparently been
directly to other purposes"
"Youw Will come back, papal' pleaded
Charley, half fearful that he was to be
orphaned a second time.
81 will very soon, my child.''
The dismay of Mr.. and Mrs. Parker
Worden, when their brother, supposed
to be sleeping beneath the briny waves
of the ocean. appeared before them like
some righteously avenging spirit. can
he more easily imagined than described.